Between Two Worlds (Ouistreham)

Adapted from a book by Florence Aubenas, Between Two Worlds has Marianne Winckler (Juliette Binoche) as job seeker in Northern France. She educated but fallen on hard times so now close to desperate. Through a job centre she gets a cleaning job and begins to befriend the mostly women who do these jobs.

These are jobs that carry very little pay but a fair amount of responsibility as they are under strict deadlines to complete the work for the people who contract them. People who already pay a pittance and looking to pay less. That leads to a few situations where Winckler relies on her experienced companions Christèle (Hélène Lambert) and Marilou (Léa Carne) plus a host of others, caught in the blight of low pay and high living costs.

It’s hard tedious work especially when they are on the ferries where there are strict deadlines, having to be on and off the boat before it sails, with two hundred plus cabins to clean. Though an impromptu party sees one getting left behind.

There’s a camaraderie amongst the workers, a loyalty that is built up on honesty and integrity. That falls away when it comes to light that Marianne is actually a writer looking to understand life on the breadline, and recording her experiences every night in a hotel room.

Directed by Emmanuel Carrère and co-written with Hélène Devynck, it is beautifully filmed and acted, bearing in mind some of the players are non-professionals. They are good enough that the viewer should develop an empathy towards them as they banter and rapport; there’s a genuine spirit of mutual support and community.

Which is blown apart by Marianne’s revelation leading to deep sense of betrayal, then anger, hurting Marilou and Christèle particularly hard. Though her actions don’t appear to have the same effect on the others, which is surprising. Close attention to an early exchange could give the game away, after that the film loses a lot of its authenticity.

The film seems to accurately depict the lot of working people and each will take what they will from the scenario. But there has to be some question about the ethics of Winckler’s blatant lying and manipulation to get her material, from people who will never benefit in any way from her work. It feels like a nasty trick rather than serious research or investigative journalism.

Between Two Worlds will be in cinemas and Curzon Home Cinema from 27 May.